Full Moon
by Kitsune-ohime-sama
Summary: The Half Moon Christmas Celebration is over and done with, but Orochimaru isn't. However, with Naruto struggling to regain his powers and fit in the modern world and the lack of communication from the Celestial Gods, Sasuke will need the help of the past to keep the world at peace and unknowing of the chaos that could descend upon it. SasuNaru. More inside. Sequel to Half Moon
1. Early Dawn

**Pairings:**

SasuNaru/ Magnet Shipping

Mentioned!ItaDei/Black & White Shipping

FugaMiko/Persona Shipping

KyuuMina/Seal Shipping (Melmel Phase had requested it and s/he is the only person to say anything on it, so I'm doing it)

It's here! It's here! The sequel is here and I hope it was worth it because this story looks to be "heavy-duty".

I think it will be longer than Half Moon, but will be less than fifteen chapters. Not entirely sure since the plot is still not completely written out, but I figure that I'll get what I'm looking for if I do a bit of freewriting. So, expect for the story to be a little all over the place for the first few chapters while I get things together, mmkay?

The format will always be Sasuke's POV first, then Naruto's (maybe Sasuke's again), and finally the "mystery" POV~

**Summary:**

The Half Moon Christmas Celebration is over and done with, but Orochimaru isn't. However, with Naruto struggling to regain his powers and fit in the modern world and the lack of communication from the Celestial Gods, Sasuke will need the help of the past to keep the world at peace and unknowing of the chaos that could descend upon it.

**Warnings: **This story can _not_ be read as a stand-alone from Half Moon because it picks up just two or three weeks after the events of Half Moon which explains a lot of why the writing style will change in the middle as well as a lot of concepts that are explored in this sequel. So seriously. Read it. _  
_

Also, language and this chapter switches a little between Sasuke and Naruto's POV.

And instead of switching to Naruto's strange POV at the end of the chapter like in Half Moon... well. I'll leave that to the end~ ;D

* * *

_The forest was silent except for the my heavy breathing my footfalls that were getting a little slower with each step, but I have to keep running. That beautiful moon that Minato-sama had raised into the sky what only seemed to be a while ago lit my path through the forest with it's eerie light. _

_I slowed myself to a stop and desperately gripped the bark of a tree with my left hand, gasping for breath and crouching close to the earth. I could barely see my toes from my dizziness of my run, but I knew that they hadn't managed to come through a long run through the forest without any protection unscathed. In fact, I was barely wearing any proper clothing. A pair of tough, yet soft shorts protects my thighs, but everything else surely had some sort of scratch or ache. The slight sting I felt whenever I twitched or turned my head even the slightest was proof of that. _

_Using the tree for support, I pulled myself up, cringing as my spine straightened. Up above, the moon glowed brightly, almost wishing me well on this terrible journey that I must take. __I don't want to do this, but I have to. _

_Because if I didn't, _he_ would catch me. I don't know who this person is or why they seem so threatening, but I just knew... that I wouldn't be able to walk away from the encounter with that person alive._

* * *

_Early Dawn_

* * *

My eyes snapped open, staring into my blue-tinted hotel room. It was still late at night, maybe four in the morning. I brought my hand up to rub my eyes when I I felt the bed shift slightly a bit further down. Curious, I quietly pulled myself into a position where I was leaning on both my hands for support while leaning back on them.

Further down the huge bed was the one I usually shared it with, Naruto. He was sitting in front of the window, the moonlight making his appearance as a tanned young man with short and spiky blond hair and blue eyes seem unreal. Maybe because he is.

Naruto is the son of the Celestial God of the Sky, Minato, and has his own unique power to light up the night and banish the coldness that came with it. He had used this gift to help the people of Konohagakure, a village up here on the mountain that refuses to modernize, with their harvests. However...

I let out the breath I've been holding in, causing Naruto to stare at me, his eyes downcast and sad. I pushed myself against the headboard of my bed and opened my arms out to him. His eyes lit up with gratitude as he crawled into my embrace and resting his head on my shirt-covered chest.

However, he had lost that power and with it the ability to communicate with his father, and I knew that it was slowly getting to him. This habit of waking up in the middle of the night to stare at the window had started only a week ago and with each night, Naruto became more and more downtrodden.

It's a bit unbelievable, but I guess that if I had lost Mother with no warning and no idea of how how to get her back, I would be feeling the despair that plagued Naruto these last couple days.

As time passed, I succumbed to sleep, having heard Naruto's breathing even out.

* * *

Later on in the day, and after I had snuck Naruto some eggs and bread for breakfast, my brother had approached me in the living room. Naruto had left for Konoha to help with re-construction a little over an hour ago.

I nodded in acknowledgement of my brother's presence when he sat down on the sleek, brown arm chair across from the brown couch I had splayed my body on, sketching.

"Sasuke." My hand stopped drawing the oval shape of an eye and I turned my head to the side. Itachi's troubled expression made me quickly straighten up.

"Did something happen?" Itachi shrugged and put his elbows on his knees and leaned his face against hands.

"More like something that happened is not happening anymore. Mother's almost fully recovered from being sick and is feeling well enough to travel." I felt my fingers go lax and my sketchbook almost fall out of my hands from my shock when I tightened my grip. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother. I had been worried about her being sick when she's already so tired from keeping our mansion running smoothly, as well as keeping up the appearance of a wife of an Uchiha. She had come from a relaxed town, so suddenly being thrust into a large and judgmental spotlight has made her cautious about everything, afraid of doing something wrong and have father be disappointed in her.

So yes, hearing her recover is great, amazing if I wanted to think of it as such. But it also meant...

"When are we leaving Konoha?" Itachi's upper lip twitched.

"Tomorrow at noon." Scowling deeply, I set my sketchbook down next to me. That won't be enough time.

"Is it because Father wants to get back to running the company personally?" Itachi didn't react, as I knew he would, but I knew that he was bothered by the mention of our Father.

"That and you've been gone from school for too long. Winter break ended four days ago." I would've rolled my eyes if not for my high respect for my brother. My cousin, Neji had been emailing me his notes for the last several days and it's not like I can't catch up considering all we're doing is review.

"I won't fall behind from being absent for a couple more days. Neji'll make sure of that."

"It's not just him who wants you back in school. Mother is also worried for your grades." Already, I can feel my resolve break. I always tried to make myself scarce so my mother doesn't have to worry about me when she already has so many things to concern herself over.

Seeing my expression fall, Itachi tilted his head to the side, a sympathetic pose, before standing up and walking to his room. He was most likely to call Deidara, his fiance, and tell them of our arrival back in Oto. Frowning at the spot my brother occupied, I grabbed my sketchbook and stalked to my room.

I didn't really feel like drawing anymore.

* * *

**_~Naruto~_**

He waved to his people, smiling happily when they waved back with enthusiasm. It has been a while, but Konoha has fully recovered from the ordeal of loud thunder and flashy lightning.

He was about to go into the forest, his short-cut back to the large cave that E-Sasuke dwelled when he was stopped by the call of his name. "Lord Naruto!"

Turning his head, He saw a small, flame-haired little child approach him with a huge smile and holding something preciously in her hands. Smiling, He knelt down and pressed his forehead and against, his smile growing when she began to giggle. He leaned back, smile still in place. "What can He do for you?"

Instead of answering, she stretched out her arms towards him and opened her clenched fists, revealing a small rock. He raised an eyebrow, confused. "What is this?"

She pouted, most likely annoyed he did not get it, before her face brightening at the prospect of teaching her deity something. "My friend Konohamaru told me that it's a heart. It means love!"

He looked between her joyful face and the strange object - the heart. Is that not... what humans consider the most important... uh... organism in their body?

His posture relaxed. He knew about love, a strong emotion humans felt when with someone they are close to. The Celestial Gods are capable of love, as shown from the many interactions between Papa and many Celestial Spirits who have tried to catch his father's attentions. Attentions that always was targeted towards him in the familial way. He was not clueless, he knew the different types.

He knew of one of the most strongest... romantic love. A love so strong and filling that it could give humans the power of a Celestial, Lord Kurama often boasted when visiting his Papa in the Celestial Realm.

However, he wondered as he reached his hand out to take the small rock. The girl grinned before place the stone in his hand. He poked and prodded at it, somewhat in admiration of nature's craftsmanship.

How does such a shape connect with love? It seems so small... surely not big enough to hold more than what it was looks to hold.

"Do you like it?" He looked up to see the girl fiddling with her fingers, a little embarrassed. He grinned widely at her, finding the strange trinket quite adorable.

"Of course. It came from you, did it not?" Her face flushed red, but she seemed really grateful.

"Moegi! C'mon! It's time for dinner." A woman's voice called from the distance. Moegi looked surprised at the sudden outburst, but nodded in the direction of the shout.

"Coming, grandma!" Moegi turned around to quickly hug him, smiling once more, before dashing off to her cave. He watched her go, holding the small, hard rock against his clothed chest, above where his own heart was.

Love, huh?

* * *

It wasn't a long walk back to the large cave, but due to the recent memory of pain in his leg from walking through the forest, it took longer with him being cautious of where he stepped. His new treasure was in the pocket of the clothing that Itachi had called 'jeans'.

As his Papa slowly lowered the sun, He had finally broke free from the leafy tangle that was his home. He marched to below the strange, small portal that E-Sasuke had in his room and would leave open for him to leave and come in through. Digging his claws into cave, He climbed up the side of it, making sure to hide in the ivy whenever a human or monster approached. His one tail and ears were present on his form.

Finally, he climbed through the portal and landed on the 'bed' as Es-Sasuke had called it. He relished in the soft feeling and comforting smell the black-haired one brought.

It reminded him of so much...

Through the open portal, he felt a small breeze come in, causing his the fur on his tail to ruffle since his rear end was sticking up in front of it. Laughing, He righted himself up on the bed and stared through the portal, hoping to spy the culprit when he remembered that-

He can see nor the beings of the Celestial Realm no longer.

His face fell, remembering the destruction of his crystal at the hands of Orochimaru. How could He have been so careless to forget about such a priceless item?

The cold breeze started up again, this time circling around his being as he stared out through the portal. The softest feel of hands on the sides of his face was almost enough to make his eyes water.

When the crystal had broken, everything was lost.

His connection with earth and sky.

His only way back to the Celestial Realm.

His sight and hearing.

His powers.

His Papa...

He tried to reach upwards the right side of his face, knowing full and well that all he would grasp is air and his own flesh. Not the warmth his Papa always had when the days grew short and the air cold.

He could look up and see the setting sky. Not the blue eyes and blond hair that he had copied from his Papa.

He could try to hear the comforting words his Papa would try to whisper into his air as the breeze circled around him faster, blowing the fabrics framing the window. All he would hear was rustling and high-pitched howling.

Orochimaru may not have captured him, but he had taken away someone who Naruto couldn't bare to lose. No matter what, he would always feel his Papa's presence by his side. It was comforting, welcoming, and helped to lull him to relax him even when he left for the mortal realm. Now all of it, everything was gone, leaving him alone and cold.

The only thing he had left was-

"Naruto?" He barely looked over his left shoulder when he was suddenly surrounded by warmth. Warm fingers dabbed underneath his eyesm causing him to recoil slightly at the strange gesture. "Heh, sorry."

He ignored the apology, in favor of burying his face in the neck of the other.

The only thing he had left was Sasuke.

* * *

**_~Kurama~_**

From my perch above the rocky ground, I watch Arashi set the sun for the day. His hand motions were slow and deliberate, making sure the sun didn't set too fast or too slow. Normally, he'd be talking my ear off while he did this boring job.

However, for the last couple of days, he has been silent. He never spoke at the nightly circle and actually paid attention to the strangeness of the mortals. He no longer even pushed away my affections, merely nodding or ignoring them without effort. Arashi has never done that.

I shook my head. No, he's done it before. He's done it three times before this time and they all had to do with the same being.

Naruto.

Sighing, I lowered myself off my perch to approach Arashi. He ignored me, as I expected, but he will not continue to do so if I have anything to say about it. "Arashi."

Ignored.

"Arashi..."

Ignored... once more.

"-high pitched- Arashi-saaaaaaaaaaaaaama!"

A shudder ran down his spine. He looked around furiously before his eyes settled on me. Annoyance burned in his blue eyes and his arms lowered to a tense stance below his head. "For the love of the stars, will you leave me to my work?"

I grinned slyly. "Oh, but, Arashi. You just looked so adorable with your face in that concentrated glare at the realm below."

He narrowed his eyes before stepping away from me and raising his arms again. "Leave."

I shook my head, knowing full and well he could not see it. "I am afraid not, Arashi. You've been stressing yourself over your job and worrying to death over your son. Just because we are Gods does not mean we are completely invincible. You should know most of all, with Naruto-"

I was cut off by a violent punch to my cheek. My body was thrown back onto the ground, causing me to wince from the jagged edges of rock that were sticking up. I steadied myself up into a sitting position, glaring at Arashi who stared angrily back at me. "In all of the - why did you do that, Minato?!"

He bristled at being called his true name; he refused to be addressed as such by anyone. "Do not ever consider yourself as worthy enough to utter my name, Kyuubi!"

I growled at the use of such a crude name. Yes, I do allow myself to be addressed as such, but never by him. Arashi, once realizing that he was acting out of control, quickly sobered up and turned his back on me, once more performing his duty as the Celestial God of the Sky. I picked myself up, holding my bruised cheek. My crimson eyes looked over his tense back. He knew I was still here, but he would ignore me for as long as he could which wasn't for long. I was the only one who could make him unwillingly lose his self-control. I knew it and he hated that.

Reluctantly, I started to leave this particular sector of the Celestial Realm for my own. I only looked back once. It took all I had not to run back to the shaking, crouched form on the ground.

* * *

How's that guys?! :D

I know, I know, I started the drama like... early as fuck, but we did leave at a rather dramatic time. So basically what's happening is the whole 'everything is fine' feeling is starting to wear off of all the characters and reality is setting in. That's why everyone is sort of having this break-down of sorts.

So... what else is different...? Uh, updates! Yes. Since this isn't on a count-down like Half Moon, I won't feel as obligated to finish this...

HOWEVER! I am putting an actual schedule for this. Expect and update every either week or two weeks, depending on how much stuff I have to do. You guys might get lucky if I decide hand-write next chapter since it's testing week.

Thank you guys for being so supportive with your reviews and favs~ Because of that Half Moon has over 6000 hits and this sequel is being made! Please support this sequel by doing what you did for the prequel! :,D

Bye~

**_~Kitsune-Ohime-Sama~_**


	2. Dawn (pt 1)

**Pairings:**

SasuNaru/ Magnet Shipping

Mentioned!ItaDei/Black & White Shipping

FugaMiko/Persona Shipping

KyuuMina/Seal Shipping

La! No Itachi in this chapter because he's hard to write (in fact, this entire chapter was hard to write). However, another character is going to be in this chapter. :D

Here's what happened: I got mad because Narut's section was kicking my ass with how hard it is to write in his POV since he's more straight-forward with what he thought of his feelings/surroundings but Sasuke's was done. So I decided to cut this chapter in half and upload this section today and upload the rest whenever I finally finish it.

Afterwards, I felt guilty about that, so I decided to re-add a previously excluded of this chapter

And... is Naruto related to Kurama? Hm... for now, I'll leave that up to you guys' interpretation.

I mean, it's... complicated to say the least. xD

**Summary:**

The Half Moon Christmas Celebration is over and done with, but Orochimaru isn't. However, with Naruto struggling to regain his powers and fit in the modern world and the lack of communication from the Celestial Gods, Sasuke will need the help of the past to keep the world at peace and unknowing of the chaos that could descend upon it.

**Warnings: **Language, shounen-ai, flashbacks/dream sequences galore, understandable confusion can arise from crazy plot... that's about it, I think. Oh, and there's time intervals and season equivalents introduced. My spellcheck turned itself off so if there's any spelling errors, can you let me know? :/

One Moon = One Month

One Half Moon = About Eight Days

Passing Sun = Six Hours Have Passed (During the Day)

Passing Moon = Six Hours Have Passed (During the Night)

Frost Season = Winter

High Sun = Morning/Noon

* * *

_The air grows colder with each approaching night and the harvesting season will come to a close in less than a half moon. It was sheer luck that I have found shelter in time for the upcoming frost season. It was a small burrow that was hidden away by the trunk of large tree. It was home to many creatures already, so my presence was not too disturbing._

_With my bare hands, I had made the burrow bigger to enter and to store food in. My human scent was enough to keep the wilds away from it for a while, so if I came back from foraging in less than a passing sun, my stored food would be relatively undisturbed._

_I try to keep my stock of supplies high and overflowing. The frost season has never been something to joke about and now without your light, it would be even more dangerous. I will need more than just food. I will need better clothing than the rags I wear now._

_I sit before my make-shift home, watching the sun rise as if one was slowly carrying its weight as it climbed the high mountain that was the sky. Was it hard for Minato to rise the sun? Did it take a long while? All these questions only remind me of what I plan to do for the day; forage and hunt deer for their fur._

_I sighed. Things have never seemed so difficult before. They never seemed so bad because you were there._

_And now you are gone._

* * *

_Dawn _

_(__Pt.1)_

* * *

"Naruto..." I started slowly and deliberately. The other refused to meet my eyes, which fueled my growing frustration. I grabbed his right arm, making him turn and glare into my eyes. "Just list-"

Naruto flashed his fangs at me, growling lowly. "No! He has already refused Sasuke's request."

I narrowed my eyes at this statement. He had only heard me ask once without even bothering to listen to the explanation!

"Naruto, it's just leaving the mountain to go to Otogakure. This isn't something you should be so angry about! Really! It's just-"

"That Sasuke expects He to leave his home!" Naruto snarled, forcing his arm out of my grasp. Then, he turned his entire body towards me, rising above my head while still being supported by his knees. I, in contrast, was sitting on my ass, lifting my head upwards to meet his angered sapphire eyes. We were sitting on my bed where just ten minutes ago, Naruto was crying on my shoulder, holding my grey and blue shirt like a lifeline, whispering the words that he didn't want to be alone. I had rubbed his back, told him that I was there, that he didn't need to cry.

For god's sake, what the fuck about this 'moving off the mountain' business that would set him off so much?

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I felt hands on my shoulders and my eyes met with eyes that were still angry, yet filled with something I can only describe as bitter sadness.

"Only place. Papa not appear anywhere else and Sasuke wants He to leave? No. Refusal." My eyes widened and I reached out to Naruto who had let go and was staring out the window again. My hand hung, suspended in the air right above his shoulder. I wondered whether or not I should disturb Naruto as the information I had just learn sunk into my head and mingled with what I already knew.

The only place Minato would ever want to appear in the human realm was Konohagakure, and even though Naruto couldn't see, hear, nor feel Minato, this place was the closet Naruto will have. Of course Naruto wouldn't leave this place. This was... the only place he had left.

My hand, still hanging above his shoulder, was getting tired. Finally, it fell back to me side. As it did, Naruto turned to me once again, his eyes closed. He leaned forward to rest his head on my cheek. I leaned forward, as well, relishing in the close contact that only lasted for the briefest second. I opened my eyes, unsure of when I closed them in the first place, to be met with the sight of an empty space on the bed and an open window.

The quarter moon that hung in the sky looked as if it had nothing to do with the realm below it. What a lie.

I shook my head upon thinking that. I shouldn't be. Minato is uh... pretty talented at getting people to panic when he's angry.

I shook my head again before getting up and leaving my room. I passed by my mother who was sitting in the living room. Her complexion was much more healthy than her sickly pale from over the last week. Her face wasn't so sunken and her eyes, not so dead.

She smiled upon seeing me enter the room. "Good afternoon, Sasuke. How are you?"

I shrugged. I'm not really sure what exactly to feel after what has transpired, but if I told her that, she'd surely try to her best to fine out what happened. She didn't need to know, at least for now. So, I lied. "Fine. Though, I believe I'm the one who should be asking. Are you okay?"

Her smile grew wider. "Yep! Much better than before, which is such a relief."

As she said this, I couldn't help but feel horrible about the thought that circled my head.

Then, why don't I feel relieved...?

* * *

Later, I would find myself walking down the halls of the lodge, my hands hidden away in my pockets. Why have I decided to take this walk through the green carpeted, wood paneled walls of this place? Because that's how I met her the first time.

When the freak storm had happened, almost all of Konohagakure natives that had left to raise money had immediately came back to help with repairs, Iruka and Kakashi included. It's inconvenient for me since they're my main source of folklore and it would be really helpful for me to understand this relationship between Minato and Naruto. There must be something in his past that could appease Naruto's mind about leaving...

"Whoa, hold up there!" I stumbled, surprised by the sudden voice that interrupted my thoughts.

A small laugh hit my ears. "This is the second time we've met and it was us running into each other again."

My eyes was met with mid-back length pink hair, emerald eyes, and wide smile. Sakura. I didn't know her last name, but I did know that she was the Konohagakure native who had shed some light towards the drastic debt Konohagakure owes and had given me permission to enter the forest.

Without her doing so, I would've probably have found and helped Naruto. Because of that, she has my gratitude.

I nodded my head, causing her to smile again before returning her attention to her cart of cleaning supplies. Like many of the natives of Konoha, she had gotten a job to help with the debt issue; she worked here at the lodge and I suspect others who didn't want to be too far from home also worked here.

"So... I saw you in the crowd at the celebration." She said, an easy-going start to a conversation. We entered a dirty hotel room and Sakura immediately went for the massive dirty clothes pile. I stood awkwardly near her cart, unsure of whether to help or not.

"Yeah. I saw you, too, as one of the dancers. You're really good."

"Thanks! I've been practicing since I was fifteen to dance in the celebration. You're not allowed to participate in the official dance in front of the field until you pass the classes that you're supposed to enter at age fifteen. You also have to be over twenty, which I had earlier last year." The more I hear about Konoha, the more I'm amazed at how organized they are. I felt my curiosity peek; I needed to know more.

"Really? Do all of you have to take them?" She suddenly stopped and looked at me, slightly glaring. I didn't feel threatened because I could tell from the upwards quirk of her mouth that she was playing around.

"If you're going to ask me questions, you should help me out, you know!" I pushed the down the embarrassed blush before awkwardly walking over the pile and help her move the clothes into the movable hamper that cart contained. "And about the classes, no. It's really more of personal interest, but a lot of us want to take the class simply because you can learn some more acrobatic moves in the future."

She paused, her expression reminiscent and sad. "You know, we usually have everyone dancing. Even little kids who haven't even started to take the class join in. Everyone knows the steps and everyone wants to have a part in the celebration of Lord Naruto. But... that celebration..."

"It had too many outsiders had come, Orochimaru's forbidden presence had been unknowingly sanctioned by Konoha, and the dance did not soothe the spirits of the Gods and Goddesses as it is supposed for the Half Moon is regarded as a horrid occurrence for when Lord Naruto was almost captured." The words that had unconsciously tumbled out of my mouth surprised me. Since when have I know so much about the Half Moon Celebration?

I turned my head to Sakura who was staring at me, her mouth agape. "H-how did you know?"

I shrugged, not sure if I knew the answer to the question. Her emerald eyes continued to look over me, analysing my being and possibly looking through me for any hidden secrets. I stood still, refusing to make myself out as untrustworthy. Word would surely spread from here to Konoha and in order to protect its secrets, they'd probably force me out or something.

After a while, she sighed and leaned her back against the cart, still looking at me. Taking this as a sign to relax, I leaned an arm on the cart as well.

"... Orochimaru... he called you Esuka." She whispered, more to herself than me despite the fact she was had her eyes locked with mine. Her expression was serious and thoughtful. She waited, as if wanting to hear my response. I said nothing.

"... If you really are Esuka's reincarnation..." Sakura said a bit louder, then her voice trailed off. I continued to stare at her as her expression turned defeated, as if giving up on trying to figure me out on her own. "I... I have to report this to Lady Tsunade."

I hid a wince upon hearing the leader of the village's name. She had been absolutely furious when the confusion of the freak storm had began dissipate and she had time to focus on Naruto's shattered crystal. She had raised the security of Konohagakure by tenfold for the first week and demanded that all visitors leave immediately (Itachi and I were allowed to stay; Itachi because he had converted and it was well-known in the village, and me because Naruto refused to let me go). Visitors haven't been allowed in Konoha since then, despite the many demands of the outside cities ad villages that she needs to open it back up. Tsunade has vehemently refused them before and hasn't backed down since then.

Sakura noticed my wince and tried to change the subject to something more comfortable. "So... how is Lord Naruto?"

I let a small frown cross my face. "He's... not really at his best because of the loss of his powers and connection to the Celestial Gods and Goddesses."

"Hm..." She hummed, closing her eyes. "Maybe... a change of scenery would help?"

I looked at her, surprised. I didn't think she would think that Naruto might need to leave Konoha for a while. I thought that she would try to keep him as close as possible. When Sakura turned herself towards me, she raised an eyebrow at my face. "What?"

"I thought if Naruto refused to leave, then all of Konoha would agree!" I stammered (since when have I done that?). She looked taken aback before reaching out to me and poking me in the head.

"You're not very smart in the head, are you, huh?"

"Wha-"

"We're all human beings, and as human beings, we are fickle with our decisions and beliefs. We may worship Lord Minato, Lord Naruto, Lady Anko, and all the other Celestial Gods and Goddesses, but we also have our own minds. Please remember that." She said, her tone serious as sin despite the smile on her face.

I frowned, nodding. I guess I was going a bit too far. "Yeah. Sorry."

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine. So..." Her eyes took on a curious glint. "Are you planning on taking Naruto away from here?"

"...Yes." It took a while, but I finally admitted it. She beamed.

"Awesome! This will be perfect. Tsunade has been looking for the perfect candidate, you know, and since you already know about Naruto and with you and him already being close, he''ll definitely have fun learning about the world off the mountain and with Orochimaru slinking around, it'll be better if Naruto is away from where he expects him to be..." She began to ramble on.

I shook my head. "Not."

Sakura's entire body froze. She turned to me slowly, her expression and voice questioning me. "What do you mean, 'not'?" She suddenly got in my face, grasping my shoulders and shaking my entire body back and forth. The woman had moved so fast that I haven't even noticed until she was there. "You don't like him or something? Tell me!"

"He-doesn't-want-to-leave-because-Minato-won't-appear-anywhere-else!" I practically shouted in between shakes. I was very thankful when she stopped, looking surprised at my answer.

"Lord Minato won't appear anywhere else?" She frowned. "But that's just silly- Lord Minato is the sky itself. If the sky stretches over it, he'll be able to appear in the human realm over it. He just doesn't want to."

Sakura paused, her eyes widening. "Unless... of course!" She let me go, her hands almost pushing me away. I stumbled backward a couple of steps before finally regaining my sense of balance.

"Is there a legend about this?" I asked.

"Hmhm." She nodded. "This legend is about the very beginning where there were only one Celestial God, Lord Kurama. We call it the Tale of Love. Do you want to hear it? I mean, I'll have to give you the short version for now because you're not a native, but you should at least know the basics."

I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Love? That cheesy word that girls constantly pine over? I'm not sure if I'm as keen on learning this legend anymore. Then, Naruto's face appeared in my head, his radiant smile and bright blue eyes. Mentally sighing, I nodded my head. I just have to keep remembering that I'm doing this for Naruto.

"Okay, this is the short version so I'm skipping a lot of stuff as well as a lot of the romance itself, okay?" I nodded again.

"Well, it starts out long before the time of emperors and empresses. When people were first starting to group together into civilizations, the Celestial God of the Earth, Lord Kurama reigned as the supreme ruler. He is the embodiment of the Earth itself and he performed tasks such as deciding which way the rivers must flow or where the mountains should be. He noticed the creation of humans and took pity on them. He blessed them with many gifts. Some were for hunting and gathering food, others were for creative activites like performing dances or creating arts that praised Lord Kurama.

"Amist all the groups was an aggressive, but weak group that was constantly threatened with extinction by the others if they persisted in their attmepts to start war. In order to gain the power to defeat the threats, the group sacrificed one of their worst soldiers, one who went by the name of Minato, to Lord Kurama. Now, Lord Kurama has always admired the humans for their strange ways and Minato had piked his interest with his zeal and refusal to give up despite him not being as physically strong as the other soldiers. Upon hearing of his use as a sacrifice for mor power, Lord Kurama used his divine powers to bless Minato with an afterlife as the eternal Celestial God of the Sky to spite the group. As revenge, Minato had called upon a large storm that did no damage to the group itself, but did wipe out the vegetation. Lord Kurama helped by using his own magic to trap the group on a high mountain."

My eyes widened. "Death by eventual starvation?"

She nodded. "I'll spare you the details of the slow starvation, but I will say that the remaining members of the group were attacked and killed by the other groups that they had terrorized for so long before the sacrifice. Lord Kurama then took Lord Minato as his lover. There's more details and more to the actual story, but I'm not allowed to tell you without Lady Tsunade's permission." Sakura said, looking a bit guilty.

I stared at her. It was... er... informative, but considering that it's apparently the "short version", a lot of it sounds really weird and comes out with little explanation...

However, it does tell me that Minato wasn't always a Celestial God and that Kyuubi and Minato are lovers. And, if I'm guessing correctly, that group Minato once was part of... yeah. It makes sense, but I think it will all be revealed through finding the actual story.

I told Sakura "thanks" and left her to her work. I guess I'll have to find the real version later and on my own. I headed back towards my room and kicked off my shoes before lying in bed, staring at the moon that taunted me from its position in the dark blue sky.

Where's Naruto? My mind asked, but it never came up with an answer because soon after that thought, I had fallen asleep.

* * *

_I sneezed again for the fifth time since we entered the City Hall. Naruto whimpered a little and began to rub his nose against my right cheek. His one and only remaining tail wrapped around my leg. It was a remorseful whine, one that sounded like he wished he could heat me up, but couldn't. Wincing, remembering how that must be a sore spot for him, I used my arms to bring him closer to me so I could draw from his natural body heat, even though there was next to nothing of it. It didn't stop me from pulling him close to my own body._

_After most of the population of Konoha was either leading outsiders out or safely tucked away in their homes, Tsunade, soaked to the bone, had come back to the stage, shocked that we were still here. While Minato refused to let rain fall upon his son (and in extension, Itachi and I since we were with Naruto) in his furious thunderstorm of a tantrum, the harsh wind had swirled around us. It almost seemed like it was trying to snuff out our warmth as a small breath to a candle flame would._

_We had all ran for cover in her office where she had quickly told us to take off objects such as jackets and shoes and leave by the front door. Tsunade then passed around blankets and had left a while ago to the kitchen to make something warm for all of us to eat. The storm had knocked off all the lights, so we had to go by candle light. Apparently, it was quite common for power to go out since Tsunade's storage of matches and candles was very large and she handled them with expertise._

_The room was spacious enough to hold several people. It had pale cream walls and red carpet. The shape of the room was a rectangle with Tsunade's desk being pushed to the side to make room for us. Itachi and Shizune took the space in which the desk would normally be, in the middle of the room and directly between the large window in the back of the room and the door leading to the outside. In a corner of the front part of the room were two, gray metal cabinets that were just a head shorter than me. Across from it in another corner was a flag stand with a flag. I couldn't see it very well since it was wrinkled and the room was mostly dark, but I could make out a green leaf from it. Kurenai, Naruto, Konohamaru, and I took one of the back corners, leaving one empty and bare._

_The window gave a clear view of the outside, chaos._

_People were still running around like chickens that have had their heads cut off. The clouds overhead were dark and threatening. Blue lighting flashed between them on occasion before striking the ground or trees with precision at those who didn't move with purpose. They weren't... exactly hurt... too much, but they definitely did start moving after having the literal shock of their lives._

_We weren't the only ones in the room. Shizune and three others had made it in when the weather started to turn for the worse. One was a pale woman with black hair and red eyes. She introduced us to her small baby girl named Azu. The other person, Konohamaru, a scruffy brunet boy with dark brown eyes, told us that Azu was his cousin and that he was to protect her and his aunt while his uncle helped evacuate outsiders. They had all welcomed us and had bowed their head in respect towards Naruto when he smiled at them._

_Now, Naruto was avidly listening to Konohamaru describe a misadventure he had with his friends when he tried to fish in the lake, but ended up catching a tree branch which fell on his uncle's car. The occasional laugh would rise from him while he cuddled up to my right side; these small laughs brought an excitable grin to the boy's face. I idly listened to the tale, not really too interested in it. Itachi was sitting next to Shizune who was trying to set up a peace circle in order to calm the Minato's raging anger. He listened very well to her instructions on where to place a candle and what colors worked best for the circle. Kurenai watched us all, a soft smile on her face. She couldn't do much of anything since she was trying to put Azu to sleep._

_"So like, Moegi was saying that we shouldn't be using the fishing pole because it was so much bigger than us. Udon and I called her a chicken, like "Baw, baw, bakaw!" The boy stood up and began to strut, imitating a chicken as he said the noises. Kurenai rolled her eyes at his antics while Naruto let out a series of barks that sounded suspiciously like laughing. They themselves elicited a few giggles and a smirk from Shizune and Itachi, respectively._

_"Keh, hah, he-" Naruto's ears suddenly perked and he was immediately at attention. His blue eyes glared holes at the window behind Tsunade's desk, a low rumbling could be heard from his chest. The reaction of everyone was instantaneous, including my own. When he tried to rise, I brought Naruto down and hid his smaller body from the view of the window with my own. He immediately struggled._

_"No. Let go-"_

_"Hush." I whispered into his ear. He turned is head to glare at me and didn't stop growling, but he did stop fighting against my hold. Konohamaru raced over to Kurenai and stood in front of her and Azu, a wall that wavered here and there, but refused to back down because of fear. Shizune had stumbled backwards in surprise while Itachi cautiously moved towards the window._

_When he was right in front of it, a man suddenly jumped up and in plain view. Konohamaru squeaked and fell backwards making Kurenai hastily move out the way before putting a hand on his shoulder. Naruto growled louder. I had to double my efforts to keep him down._

_Itachi stared at the man, the rare bewildered expression on his face as the man began to pound his fists on the window, frantic to get in. Just as Itachi moved to open the window, a blue streak of lightning hit right behind the man, sending off electric blue sparks that caused the man to scream and run away into the blind chaos that reigned behind him._

* * *

As you can see, Minato is an insane and over-protective parent. xD

Now... I've been asking myself this, should I make a web comic for Half Moon? I mean, I'm not too good at drawing humans or buildings, but I'd like to try. :O

I'll post a poll today about this because I want to hear from you guys.

Also, the next chapter consisting of Naruto AND Kurama's section is sort of finished. I just need to finish Naruto's, then switch to Sasuke's, then switch to Kurama's. It still follows the order, it's just not in one chapter.

Thank you for reading and please continue to review, fav, and follow~

Bye guys~

_**~Kitsune-Ohime-Sama~**_


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